To Sing Again
by Nocturnal Muse
Summary: Sesshomaru was a singer who put all of his emotions into his work, eventually growing cold. Rin had an accident and was in a comma for a couple of years, waking to hear one of Sesshomaru's songs on the radio. Inu AU.
1. Rin's Back

To Sing Again

Summary: Sesshomaru was a singer who put all of his emotions into his work, eventually growing cold. Rin had an accident and was in a comma for a couple of years, waking to hear one of Sesshomaru's songs on the radio. Eventually, they meet, and both of their lives change. Inu Yasha AU, modern day.

AN: Ok, this will be a fluxuating FF, a little happy, a little depressing, but cute. Yeah, can I actually do cute? Right now, I don't know how it'll end, but I have some ideas. I have seen the 3rd Inu Yasha movie, so a couple things I will say right now is, it doesn't go completely with it. Sorry to disappoint anyone. There are influences though, so every one should be happy. Also, it has been brought to my attention that some of the characters are a little OC. Note once more that this _is_ an AU, so there are bound to be a couple...side effects.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha, the series, manga, or characters, and maybe some of the lyrics I use later, but some I might. Tell ya what, if I use one, I'll foot note it after wards. Other poems are made by me unless otherwise stated as well.

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Chapter 1: Rin's Back

I wish I could go back to my former life

Free of pain, free of them

Free to run and free to fly

Free to live as I choose

Free to die for whatever causes I want

At first, the words were muffled, almost as if she were home, the CD alarm clock sounding, and she had her pillow over her head. Everything was dark, as if that were true as well. The words became sharper, clearer. They were saying:

But not here, not now

In this damned deserted place

Away from my long forgotten kin

In this land of buildings

Here, I'm free to live by another's standards

Free to be slain by another with contrasting ideals

It was a deep voice singing, and the words seemed like they were pure soul; beautiful, and clean.

Finally, she opened her eyes. The image she had had earlier was torn away. Her focus shifted from the song to her surroundings at an abrupt pace. The room she was in wasn't her own, the bed too stiff, surrounded by curtains that were white. What she could see of the walls was white, and too plain. And there was a harsh smell she would never allow in her room. The radio music was coming from a ways away, another room at the most, and was interrupted by beeping of the machinery that surrounded her. Where was she?

The song ended with "Free to live in peace forever". A weird voice came on, saying, "and that was the Western Lord's Free Life. And now..."

She reached up to brush the loose bangs out of her face. Her hand bounced off a smooth plastic surface. She sat up abruptly, tearing the oxygen mask of her face. The surrounding air made her cough. A nurse pulled back the curtain, eyes widening in surprise.

"Oh, you're up," she said as the patient's coughs subsided.

"Where am I?" the young girl asked in a scratchy voice.

"You're in a hospital. You've been here for the last eight years."

"Why?"

"You have been in a comma for that long."

"How'd that happen?" she asked. For some reason, she couldn't quite recall.

"Your parents had an accident."

"An accident?" she asked. The mention of the word brought back the memories of what had happened. She was eight; her parents were driving her to school. The car had jerked forward abruptly; her head had hit the back of her mom's seat. The front of the car hit something, the window shattered. It sounded like something fell across the hood of the car, but she wasn't able to see anything. Her eyes widened and she whispered, "What happened to my mom and dad?"

"I'm sorry, but they're gone. There wasn't much we could do at the accident scene," the nurse replied. She really sounded sorry, too.

"Oh." How could that be? How could her parents die? What was she going to do? Was she really fifteen? She couldn't go back to school like this. She didn't realize she was crying.

"I'll be back soon. Is that all right with you?" the nurse asked.

The young girl nodded numbly.

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Five months passed. The girl had been allowed out of the hospital in a week after she came out of her comma. In the months after, she had learned to cope with her body's changes, as well as her new family. Her new mother figure was a hard workingwoman, therefore, the girl didn't see much from her. Her dad worked half the week, and she liked him better.

She started hearing a little more about the Western Lord. She had heard the same song on the same station at least five times, and she loved it. She started searching out information on the singer. He had three CD's out, had sung a song for some movies, and she wanted to hear them all. She had gone as far as to order them on a website off of her main computer, but she hadn't gotten them yet. She had looked up every last detail there was about the Western Lord with in reason (Basically all of the mild fan girl sites. Her parents surely would get a thrill if she did anything else). His real name was Sesshomaru. When he was singing he dressed to look like a demon, with the two striped markings on both cheeks, a crescent moon on his forehead, and pointed ears. When Sesshomaru was singing, he looked alive, like he was rejoicing.

Rin had finally managed to persuade her foster parents into getting her the new computer she had wanted. That night, she was cruising the internet, trying to find a little more information as to where the Western Lord was now. "Rin, you really need to get off soon," her new father said from outside the door.

"Oh, but...Just a sec."

"It's past your bed time. Go to sleep."

"But!"

"Go to sleep, Rin. We're going out tomorrow, so you need to get to sleep."

"Oh, all right, fine." She could hear footsteps down the hall. Sighing, Rin marked the site she was just about to browse as a favorite before signing off and shutting the computer down. She was already in her canary yellow silky pajamas, so she slipped into bed, thinking the fan girl "what if's" about the Western Lord. What would she do if she met him tomorrow? What if she saved his life and they could end up having kids together? What if...

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Rin was pushing her way through the crowded streets like everyone else. She was paying only half attention to the crowd. The other half was to the music playing over her headphones. The case was in her hands. Currently her father was doing business, which gave the young girl time to shop on her own.

Through a sea of black haired people, a silver hue glimmered slightly before other people got in the way of her view. She perked up, barely daring to hope that it was her new idol. She pushed more people out of the way, following the person until she noticed him branch off from the main flow of human traffic. She followed, heart beating rapidly.

The stranger turned to look at a sign, and Rin gasped, dropping the CD case. It really was the Western Lord. She had accidentally found Sesshomaru.

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Kk, sorry about that little snippet above, about the what if's. I couldn't help remembering about Mary Sue (exactly as stated in that section!) and... yeah. Cliffhanger ending! I'm getting better at these.


	2. How Sesshomaru met Rin

Chapter 2: How Sesshomaru met Rin

He heard a gasp and a clatter of plastic on cement that was quite loud to him, but evidently not to the mortal girl who stood gaping at him as if he were demon (actually looking like a demon unlike his current humane appearance)

"Sesshomaru?" the dark haired girl breathed.

He turned to look at her and then at her feet to see that she had dropped a cd case. The silver haired man walked over to her and retrieved her article like a dog. With out looking, he handed it back to her. The girl grasped it numbly.

"How do you know my name?" he asked coldly, admitting she had the right person in mind.

Rin was blushing furiously by now. "Your music...brought me back to life, to simplify."

"That's not me anymore. Sorry." To the girl, he didn't sound remorseful, just empty. He was about to turn.

Rin hesitated, "Um..." Sesshomaru turned to fully look at her again.

"But, I liked your songs a lot. Um, do you want a pizza or something? I'll buy."

"Don't you have a boy friend or something that will get jealous if he sees you eating out with another male?"

"No, I'm single. Look, I always wanted to see how it would be like to be around a celebrity."

"I'm not famous. I never have been, which is fine."

"I think you should be. Besides, it's rude to turn down a woman's offer for free food."

"As you wish, then. I shall accompany you to which ever place you would like to go to eat."

"Oh, thank you!" Rin cried, jumping with joy and smiling.

The young girl grabbed the Western Lord's hand and started pulling him through the crowded streets to the mini mall. And that was a start of a change.

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The two were seated at a small table in the mall's food court. A steaming pepperoni pizza sat in the center. Occasionally, Rin or Sesshomaru would take a sip out of a milk shake, Rin's a wild Strawberry one, Sesshomaru's a plain vanilla.

They were silent as they ate for a few minutes, both a little uncomfortable. Finally, Rin decided to break the silence.

"Earlier you said that you don't sing any more. Why?"

"Because I can't."

"I think you can. Who said you couldn't?"

"My manager, the record company, several fans."

"Did they say why?"

_Too many questions. She doesn't need to know all of this_, Sesshomaru thought. He answered any way, "My manager said that I was loosing the feeling. The words were empty. He was right."

Rin recalled the way he had apologized earlier. His words _had_ sounded empty. "How terribly sad," Rin muttered.

"Too you, maybe. Not to me."

"Why not?"

"Fame is a fickle thing I never really strived for. It brings unwanted attention."

"I think it would be wonderful to be famous."

"You don't know the half of what it is truly like. I would wish it on few."

"Why is that?"

"Everyone knows everything, weather it's true or not."

"Everything?"

Sesshomaru nodded once.

Rin thought about this. She figured it was true. Newspapers had it, magazines had things, and stars were everywhere, doing everything.

"The pizza's gone. We should start heading back," he stated.

"Oh, yeah, you're right. Dad might worry."

They threw away the trash and headed back to where Rin's father worked.

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"Dad!" Rin shouted. The young girl ran forward to give him a big hug.

"Rin," The man replied smiling.

"Dad, I want you to meet someone." Rin looked to where she had left Sesshomaru, but the Western Lord had seemingly melted into the crowd, not an easy task for someone of his height and hair color.

"Rin?"

"Oh, he left. Sorry."

"A man?"

"Oh, no. Just an imaginary friend. I still need to get used to real life," Rin covered. She had heard how some parents acted when their children wanted them to meet male friends, and she decided she really didn't want that.

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	3. Confusions

Chapter 3: Confusions

"Inu Yasha, why do you think you need to pick up a new woman every time we get to a new city? And not only that, but shouldn't you get a hotel room, and leave my couch open?" Sesshomaru asked as he walked into his apartment.

From the couch, Inu Yasha looked up. He had jet-black hair, and vibrant violet eyes. Sesshomaru could see the human his younger brother had picked up. She was smiling pleasantly. She also had black hair. Chocolate eyes held a mischievous gleam. The Western Lord stared coldly.

"Ah, common, bro. You ought to get a girl some time," came the younger's reply.

Shaking his head, Sesshomaru retreated to his room.

He could hear the girl comment, "Wow, Inu-chan, your brother is hot."

He could also hear his brother's reply. "Yeah, but he wont satisfy you like I will."

_Not on the couch_, Sesshomaru prayed. He shut the door of his room softly. The room was plain and simple. The walls were off white and plain. The curtains on the window were a thick black fabric. The desk was polished with a black shine. The bed was made with fresh white sheets, set apart by the black iron at the foot and head of the bed. Sesshomaru sat at the desk and started to pull a piece of paper out. He stared at it blankly, then, sighing, put it back away.

He almost had the words to a song, but there just wasn't anything to write. The girl, Rin, interested him like no one else had. Sesshomaru nodded his head in agreement with himself. He would see Rin again.

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Rin was back on her computer. The web site she had marked the night before was the one she had been looking for. It had _all _of the information she had been looking for. Even so, she could barely concentrate on what she was reading, her thoughts always straying back to that afternoon, when she had met him personally.

How Sesshomaru was incredibly handsome in real life. Rin couldn't help but think he looked more natural when he was singing (and dressed like he was singing) than he did in real life. It was almost as if his out fit was real. Rin chastised herself. No, he dressed like he was imitating a demon or something, and demons didn't exist in real life.

Rin sighed, trying once more to pull herself back to her reading.

She hopped she could see him again. It was a shame she didn't know where he lived. She should have asked for his phone number. But, then maybe Sesshomaru would think she was a crazy stalker kind of fan. He probably didn't like those if he didn't really want to be famous.

Agitated, Rin pushed her rolling chair away from the computer desk. "I can't concentrate!" she shouted.

From downstairs her surrogate father called, "Rin, are you doing all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry!" Bowing her head, Rin whispered to herself, "I just don't know what's wrong with me."

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Three days later, Rin's father took her out again. She was walking in the park when someone called her name.

She turned to see the silver haired bishonen she had admired. He was wearing one of his more common of-the-scenes shirts, a dark brown t-shirt with the skull and crossbones under which the word "Poison" was glued on the shoulder. "Se...Sesshomaru, what are you doing here?" she asked.

He asked himself the same thing. What was he doing here? He had only wanted to see Rin again, but now he had called attention to himself.

"Just sitting. Would you like to join me?" Sesshomaru asked. Damn another whammy.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks." Rin sat next to the Western Lord quietly for a second. She decided she felt comfortable enough to ask a question. "What got you into singing?"

Sesshomaru shrugged. "My father. He just screwed up a little to much, and..." he stopped. Why was he telling this to a human? It was private.

"Where did you write your first song? Was that when you knew what you wanted to do?" Rin seemed really excited, tottering on the good side of the borderline between acceptable- and rabid- fan girl.

"It was a park like this."

"How come?"

Sesshomaru hesitated. He didn't want to tell her right now. It was way to complicated for a normal human to understand.

--

_For the longest time, he had been happy. His parent's bickered occasionally over small things, like any other couple would (if not more violent because of their demon nature) but it was otherwise very calm. That is, until the night his mother had discovered Inutaishou had another love. Unfortunately, Sesshomaru saw the whole thing._

_"A demon Lord has room in his heart for more than one love. Unlike humans, who conceive love and flit form partner to partner." His father had shouted when confronted by Achika._

_"If that's the way you feel, Inutaishou, I don't need you. I'm leaving."_

_"You don't think I love you any more, that's it. I do, Achika, I do. Without you, my life is an eternal night, an endless winter."_

_She shook her head, pale blue locks shaking into her eyes. She unconsciously rubbed at the scars that bound her to the great Western lord. "No, without me it will be an eclipse, night for only a moment in the day, dark for only a moment before you forget me. No, go to your new woman, dog."_

_"I was right, you don't believe me," Inutaishou sounded hurt. He backed her against the wall, preventing her escape by putting both arms on either side of the struggling demoness. "I'll prove to you my love. I still love you, Achika." He nipped at her neck._

_Tears were flowing down her face as she whimpered. "I don't need you," she whispered._

_"But I need you, my love, my mate." Inutaishou passionately kissed the struggling woman._

_"Mother," Sesshomaru whispered._

_His father stiffened before turning to his son sharply. "Go to your room, son."_

_"No, you're hurting Mother!" Sesshomaru shouted. His anger caused his sharp claws to sink into the skin of his palm. But his anger kept him from that pain as well._

_Inutaishou was in front of the young demon in a second. The elders claws racked across the stripped cheeks of the younger demon. The son stumbled back, golden eyes brimming with angry tears._

_"Get out of the house now, pup, or kami knows I'll kill you."_

_"Inutaishou, you leave Sesshomaru alone!" Achika half pleaded, half demanded._

_"Mother, I'm sorry," he whispered. Sesshomaru turned and left the house. Just outside the door, he heard his mother scream from within. He ran. The puddle-pocked streets passed by in a hazy blur. The rain helped hide the salty tears that burned the slashes on his cheek. Sesshomaru's insides were still burning with rage. He left because he couldn't stand up to his father, no matter what. It would only hurt his mother more if he had died. The young demon ended up in the park. For a while, he walked around aimlessly, until, weary and beaten, he came to rest beneath an old willow tree. _

_It was there that he wrote his first song. His anger was burned poetically on a spare piece of newspaper, the words formed by his claws in his own blood. _

_(OK, these are not my lyrics. I forced my friend, punk-dragon to write them for me. So after you're done with this fanfic, go read hers. Only review for mine though, because her's has more than enough. Just Kidding. Reply for us both!)_

_Holding onto these pitiful dreams,_

_Hoping they mean something._

_He's not worth the tears he caused._

_He went to far in hurting Mom._

_I can't forgive him as a son_

_This deep anger has only begun._

_I'll destroy him one day, I promise I will,_

_With no emotion, only incentive to kill._

_And every one can hate me if they must,_

_But that bastard took all I trust._

_He hurt my mother, I can't stand by,_

_Until I know that man has died._

_For all the pain he caused, _

_Because he went to far in hurting Mom._

_Holding onto nothing,_

_Casting away these pitiful dreams._

_Not worth the tears,_

_Not worth these fears._

_He'll leave us behind,_

_My mother and I._

_But we'll do fine _

_On our own, it might take some time_

_But I wont let him hurt her_

_Any more than he has done._

_He might try me for murder, _

_But can he convict his own son?_

_Sesshomaru sighed after finishing. I will kill that bastard for what he has done, he promised himself. With that thought in mind, he was able to drift off to an odd, thankfully dreamless sleep._

--

That was how it happened. The Western Lord title was a real one. He was a demon hiding his true form from human eyes, adapting a despicably full-human form so he wasn't murdered on the spot.

"Sesshomaru?" Rin asked quietly.

"Yes?"

"You just kind of slipped off for a second. Are you all right?"

"Yes."

Rin nodded her acknowledgement. She decided it was better not to talk about things like that. They started talking about the popular bands out there, their likes and dislikes about them.

Finally, Rin realized she had to go. "Hey, do you think we can get together again?" she asked shyly.

"If you want to," Sesshomaru replied. Third strike. One more whammy to go.

"Um...can I have your phone number so I can call you the next time I can come here?"

"Sure."

Rin got out a tiny address book equipped with a miniature pen. Sesshomaru signed it before they went in opposite directions.

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HD: Well, I just wanted a little bit of fun for this chapter. Yes, Inu Yasha and Sesshomaru are living under the same roof. Later on I will explain it in more detail as to why, but just for now, they got over a couple differences. Plus Inu Yasha is usually jobless, not to mention broke, so... yeah. -.

About that little comment about Inu Yasha picking up a new girl all the time, part will be evident later, but Inu Yasha is usually a rich horn dog in alot of AU fanfics, so I thought he's be likely to do things like that.

I like the Idea I had for the Fluffy shirt. The Poison idea was inspired by a different one when I was looking at a truck at night. Syn is nocturnal.

I revealed a little of the past that I made up for him to make the chap longer. I feel like a loser saying that, but I hope you all enjoyed it. Even if it made you cry. I have a lot more. It was disappointing that the movie didn't talk about Fluffy-sama's mother in it, so we all have to make things up. The name was borrowed from (Authoress of Warlords Don't Cry.)

Syn: By the way, the author does not own Whammy, though it is entertaining to watch.

HD: Thanks Syn, and all the peps reading. Bye for now!


	4. Half Truths and Halfbreeds

Chapter 4: Half-truths and half-breeds.

"I think I'm going to tell Kagome," Inu Yasha stated. He was hanging off the couch upside-down.

"Tell her what? That you love her to death like you do every day?" Sesshomaru replied somewhat sarcastically.

"That too. But...I was thinking about telling her the truth. About us." Realizing that sounded really wrong, Inu Yasha corrected, "About how we're demons. Then we wont have to worry when she's over here."

"Whatever you want."

Inu Yasha was silent for a moment. "I think ani's got a girlfriend."

"What makes you say that?"

"I dunno. There's just something different about you. You seem a little...less threatening, somehow."

Sesshomaru's knuckles cracked as his hand balled into a fist.

Inu Yasha readied himself for flight by flipping himself off the couch. "Of course, it could just be my imagination."

_He's just saying that to save his skin_, Sesshomaru thought dryly as he went into his room.

Rin stood with her phone in her hand. She was shaking. The phone book was open to the page Sesshomaru had signed. Rin had been thinking of calling the Western Lord, but as soon as she had been about to, she started to get nervous. Heaving a small sigh, she went to put the cordless phone back on the base.

_You'll hate yourself for not calling_, the annoying voice inside her head told her.

"I know," she whispered back.

_Then call him. Call him, call him, call him!_

"Fine, I will," Rin snapped. She drew the phone back and dialed the number. She checked it once, making sure it was right, then hit the send button.

The line beeped a couple times before someone picked up, saying, "Hello, love."

Rin hung up quickly, her heart thumping. Love, that wasn't Sesshomaru. _Good going. Dialed the wrong number, _Rin scolded. Trembling again, she slowly punched in the number and hit send.

"Oh, man. I don't think that was Kagome," Inu Yasha muttered as he got the dead phone buzz. He hung it up, wondering who it could be.

The phone rang again. Taking the more cautious approach, Inu Yasha picked it up and said, "Hey."

"Um, is this where I can reach Sesshomaru?" A young girl's voice asked shyly.

"Uh, yeah. Hang on a sec." Inu Yasha put a hand over the mouth piece and shouted, "Sesshomaru! Your girlfriend's on the line!"

Sesshomaru walked into the room. He snatched the phone roughly from Inu Yasha's hand, giving his younger brother a good punch on the head for good measures before going back to his room.

"Hello?"

"Sesshomaru!" Rin practically screeched. (Hehe, rabid fan girl moment. I had one of those.)

"Yes. Why did you call?"

"Uh...well, you gave me your phone number the other day, so I was calling to see if you wanted to get together tomorrow."

Sesshomaru flicked a glance to where Inu Yasha was spying from the door way. Damn, he'd forgotten to shut it. "Tomorrow works."

"How about at the mall, at the pizza place? About ten?"

"In the morning?"

"Yeah."

"I'll see you then."

"All right. Bye!"

"Good bye." Sesshomaru hung up the phone.

"So, who was that?" Inu Yasha asked.

"Just a fan."

"Oh, so you're seeing fans now?"

"I'm not seeing any one."

Inu Yasha laughed. "Sure you aren't."

Sesshomaru made a lunge for the younger demon. There was a knock on the door and Inu Yasha bolted for it.

Sesshomaru walked over and sat at his desk. He put his head in his hands as he heard Kagome squeal.

He heard Inu Yasha tell her he needed to tell her something. She quieted down. Sesshomaru could picture what Inu Yasha was going to do. Tell her he wasn't human, take off the disguise, and pray for the best. In a couple of minutes, the demon lord heard Kagome squeal again.

Tired of the romance he knew was bound to ensure, Sesshomaru left his room. He saw Kagome stroking the now silver-haired demon's dog-ears, while his younger brother's demonic golden eyes were clenched shut with pleasure.

"I'm going out for a while," Sesshomaru commented. "Don't bother making lunch."

Inu Yasha waved a hand from behind the couch back. "I wanna see her ani."

Rolling his eyes, Sesshomaru left to go back to the park. The cleanest air was there, and the demon lord needed time to think over why he was so eager to see Rin again.

The Western Lord was sitting with one arm draped over the back of the hard wooden bench. Dark shades hid his eyes from sight. His attire was a pair of loose fitting black jeans and a plain white, loose shirt. Many girls walking by would stop and stare for a couple moments, some even hanging onto a boy's arm.

"Sesshomaru!" Rin called. She was waving as she walked forward quickly.

Sesshomaru looked her way and nodded. "Rin."

She was looking very cute today, Sesshomaru noted. She was wearing a white spaghetti strap and short yellow hued shorts. _The epitome of a summer day_, he thought.

"So, did you have breakfast? Should we have something to eat?" Rin asked excitedly.

"I'm not hungry right now. Maybe we could see a movie or something."

"A movie?" Rin's eyes brightened.

"I take that as a yes."

The movie theater was away from the mall. The film they had gone to see was a major shojo film with minimum violence, which translated as a complete bore for the Western Lord.

"Wow, Sesshomaru, that was awesome!" Rin shouted as she stretched her arms over her head. "I just loved the way that one guy tried to get the girl of his dreams like that."

"I can't believe they used my song. I thought Jaken would tell me," Sesshomaru muttered quietly.

"Jaken. Who's Jaken?"

Sesshomaru smiled slightly. (All the girls faint) "Jaken is my manager. Half of the stuff he does is all on his own. He needs to contact me more often."

"I thought you stopped singing."

"I did. We're still in the business to some extent though. Some people still want specific qualities to their soundtracks, and on occasion ask for my music."

"Wow. That's so cool. I wish you could still sing."

Sesshomaru shook his head. "When does your dad want you back?"

"I told him I'll walk home today. Be back by five."

"We still have a couple hours. What would you like to do?"

"Well, I'm kinda low on money right now. We could go to the park!" Rin's stomach growled. "But I guess I'm kinda hungry."

"I live close by. That's the cheapest way to get something to eat. Does that sound all right with you Rin?"

"You mean...go to your house?"

"It's nothing much really."

"No, no. That's fine. Really. We should go."

Sesshomaru started walking just a little faster.

"Um, before we get there, I have a quick question. Who picked up the phone yesterday?" Rin asked.

"My secretary. Otherwise known as my younger half-brother."

She exclaimed, "You have a brother?"

"Not a lot of people know about him. Technically we aren't really related at all."

"Can I meet him?"

"If you can get him to part with his girl friend for more than a breath's space of time, yes."

Rin had no reply to that, so she continued to follow quietly. It was about a third of a mile to Sesshomaru's apartment structure. He led Rin up the flight of stairs and across the hall. He unlocked the door and tried to open it, but it caught.

"Inu Yasha, get the chain off!" Sesshomaru ordered. In a second, there was the sound of chinking as Inu Yasha unlatched the chain. Sesshomaru pushed the door open and invited Rin in.

Rin looked around with wide eyes at her favorite singer's apartment. The couch was occupied by a young woman who looked to be a couple years older than Rin. The T.V. was on and the girl was not paying anything else any mind. She looked slightly unhappy about something.

She continued looking. The kitchen was on the other side of a small wall indent -probably a closet- on the side of the door. Sesshomaru was walking toward the kitchen.

There was another person following after the demon lord. A sliver haired boy was whining, "Hey, ani, when are we gonna eat? I'm hungry."

"You should have had Kagome make you something."

"Kagome can't cook!" This earned him a glare from the girl on the couch. "Besides, we were being polite by waiting for you to get home."

"How very nice of you."

Suddenly, the boy stiffened. He turned slowly, looking at Rin. She noticed little dog-ears poking out of his hair.

"Um, are those natural?" She asked quietly. "They are, aren't they? You have real dog-ears."

Rin stared for a second more before passing out.

It seemed like she only blinked, but Rin woke up in a different room. She sat up and looked around. It was plain, colored with only whites and blacks. Sesshomaru sat in a rolling chair by a desk.

"Sesshomaru, what happened?" Rin asked quietly.

"That was my half-brother."

"Were those real ears?"

Sesshomaru took a deep breath before answering, "Yes."

"Why does your brother have dog ears?"

"This isn't the way I wanted to tell you. He is my younger half-brother. The reason he has dog-ears is because he is a half-breed. Unlike me, he is only half of a demon. I am a full demon. The Western Lord is my true form."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"So, you really are a demon? They really exist?"

"Yes."

"Oh my God." Rin slouched forward, putting her head in her hands.

"Are you all right, Rin?"

Rin looked up. "Show me."

"Show you what?"

"Show me how you become a demon. Or how you become human. Or...I don't know. Just...show me. Please."

Sesshomaru stood. He muttered a few words in an ancient language and turned from looking almost completely human, to looking like the Western Lord. He looked up at Rin with eyes that had slitted pupils before bowing his head further.

"Wow. That's so cool," Rin murmured.

"You were hungry, weren't you? Let me go make you something." Sesshomaru left the room, still fully "decked out" as his true form.

Rin chanted, "Demons are real," under her breath as if it were a scripture. Then a sudden thought struck her. She was in his room. She was in Sesshomaru's bed. She froze for a second before getting out quickly.

"He really is a demon," Rin muttered one last time before leaving the room.

Inu Yasha was on the couch with his arm wrapped around Kagome. "Inu Yasha, do introductions," Sesshomaru prompted from the kitchen once he spotted Rin.

Inu Yasha stood, pulling his girl up with him. The half-breed stated somewhat proudly, "I'm Sesshomaru's younger brother, Inu Yasha."

"And I'm Kagome. Inu Yasha's girl friend," Kagome smiled warmly.

Rin bowed slightly. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Rin."

"Sesshomaru's girlfriend?" Kagome asked.

"Uh, no. Just a fan."

"Rin, your sandwich is ready. I'll walk you home after your done eating."

"Neh, ani. What about mine?" Inu Yasha whined.

"Get off _my_ couch and make one you self."

Ok, well, how's that. Sorry to all of you people who were actually really really into this story. I had such a terrible writer's block, and when I wanted to type, my comp was in pieces (long story. One comp said the battery died so we were trying to find it. Mine needed some things but we didn't have em. cries)

On a better note, I found another disk so that I can post my things. Go me!

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The title was a tad off but that was the best I could do. R&R Please! I got a lot of hits, but I don't know if it's worth posting more!

Syn: For all we know, she's crazy enough to stop posting too.


	5. Mothers

Chapter 5: About Mothers

Rin finished her sandwich slowly, reluctant to leave. After she was done, Sesshomaru led her out of the house. "Lead the way," he told her.

Sesshomaru walked with Rin all the way to her house, which was a longer journey than she was used to, but comforting all the same, right to her door. Rin's house was on a small plot of land. It was a small two-story house, pained yellow with white shutters and a white porch.

Rin tried to pull him farther to the door, but he refused politely. "What would your mother say about you bringing home an older man?"

"She wouldn't really care, I don't think. Come on, just for a few more minutes," Rin pleaded.

"No Rin. I need to go now. I will see you around."

"Oh, all right. I'll see you, Sesshomaru." Rin turned and walked into the house.

"You took too long Rin," Sesshomaru heard a woman's voice inside say. "You're father's home and said you went somewhere."

"I'm sorry, Mother," Rin replied quietly.

"And I heard you talking to someone out there. It sounded like a man. Who is he?"

"Just someone I met on the way home."

"Did you ever think of what he might do to you? He could have raped you when you turned your back."

"He wouldn't do that Mom. I know him. He wouldn't. He was protecting me from anyone who would."

Smack. Sesshomaru's pupil's narrowed in anger. That human bitch! What kind of woman would smack her child?

"And why would you need protection? What are you, some kind of whore that you need a pimp to keep you safe?"

Tears welled in Rin's eyes. It wasn't that the slap hurt, it made her angry. "Why can't you understand. Sesshomaru doesn't mean anything by walking me home. He's not that kind of person. And...I like him."

"You little wrench. I don't know how you lived before you came here, but he's at least twice your age. You will not go out with anyone like that. It is against the law. If this is how you repay my kindness for taking you in..." Rin's adoptive mother swung her hand back to slap the young girl again.

A hand caught the elder woman's wrist and held it. The woman looked back into a passive face and golden hues. She gasped.

"What were you calling Rin?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Who...Who are you?" the woman managed to gasp out.

"I am Sesshomaru. You called Rin a wrench. I think you called her a whore as well."

"Sesshomaru, leave it alone," Rin ordered quietly.

"Why Rin? Do you like this? Do you like it when this woman lies about you, and abuses you?"

"No, but she is my adoptive mother."

"You don't have to take this Rin." Sesshomaru calmly twisted the woman's arm behind her back. Rin's foster mother screeched.

Rin's voice had taken on a razor of anger. "Sesshomaru knock it off. She doesn't mean anything by it."

"As you wish, Rin." He threw the woman against the wall, then walked out of the house. Even as he left he could hear Rin's mom ridiculing her, telling her never to see such a violent man again, and hear Rin run to her room upstairs.

"It's what she wanted," he muttered angrily to himself. His continued thoughts started seeming oddly poetic, and that started calming him down, then changing his anger elsewhere.

Really, what right did that woman have in hitting Rin? Just because she walked home with a guy, should a mother hit her daughter? Sesshomaru thought that was only reserved for fathers. Like his. He could remember training under his father, working into becoming a strong demon lord. And that first time...

_Sesshomaru had spent the night at the park._ _The sun had risen without conflict. It had been up for several hours before Sesshomaru woke up. His back was cramped form the lounged position he had slept in. The blood that had been streaming down his face the night before had frozen over in the chilling wind. As he scratched off the dried crimson flakes, he noticed a small pink jacket had been placed over him. Some human girl had probably left it without knowing about him. Stupid humans. _

_Sesshomaru stood, stretching before shaking out his hair, ridding the long silver locks of the liquid crystal of the remnant rains. For a moment, he stood in idle conflict with himself. Should he go home, or just take off, never to return? Home didn't sound fun, but his instinct was telling him he should head there. He started to walk home and his instincts calmed down. _

_Damn instincts, those were what had made him whiteness his parents argument. He had never been to the park before, but he was able to follow his own scent back to the area he knew. From there, he found his house._

_It was dead silent, like a graveyard, the secret, pressing silence. He opened the front door and walked into the living room. He saw his mother, sprawled on the floor like a forgotten rag doll with tattered clothes. _

_"Mother?" he asked quietly._

_Achika opened her tear-glazed eyes as she sat. She shrank back as she caught sight of the figure at the door. _

_"No, Mom, it's alright. It's me. It's your son."_

_"Sesshomaru?" she asked quietly._

_Sesshomaru nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah."_

_Achika let out a small sob and launched herself at the young demon. She clung to his neck sobbing into his shoulder. Sesshomaru ran his claws gently back and forth across her back in attempts to soothe her. _

_The door opened. This time, both could hear the loud voice of Inutaishou, laughing and joking. A woman's small quiet laugh joined in. _

_Achika stood, placing herself in front of her son. Her eyes hardened with hate, the pupils narrowing. (Wow, she got over that fast.)_

_The male came in, his arm wrapped around the shoulders of a dark haired human with violet eyes. Both Mother and son growled at the woman._

_Inutaishou smiled as he caught sight of his mate. "Ah, Achika, good morning. I want you to meet Izayoi. She's agreed to be my second mate."_

_Achika growled more violently, saying, "Get out of my house. You're no longer welcome here."_

_The demon lord's face hardened and he rumbled, "Who's paying rent? Better yet, who's dominant in our race, males or females?"_

_"You left me here while you went to go snuggling up to that human! This is my house now!" _

_"I left to bring her here. I don't care if you approve or not, mate."_

_"I'll take it to court!"_

_"Humans don't work like we do, dearest. To them, our bond is nothing. So, now I will ask you, will you stay by my side or leave."_

_For a second, the demon lord and the demoness had a star e down. Achika gave, glaring indignantly, before snatching Sesshomaru's hand and brushing past Inutaishou and his new mate on the way to the door. "Come on, Sesshomaru. We're leaving."_

_Sesshomaru was willing to leave. Who wanted to be around a mortal human? They smelled bad._

_"Leave Sesshomaru here, Achika" Inutaishou growled._

_Achika stopped at the door. She turned, eyes pleading for the impossible. "Will you deprive your son his mother?"_

_"Izayoi is one hundred percent capable of being the boy's mother."_

_That hurt them both. Achika closed her eyes looking away. Voice thick with teats, she stated, "Then you will deprive your son of a female demon's support. A demoness can support more than any mortal human could."_

_"I have faith in Izayoi."_

_"You will make your son suffer more than you have caused me to. And it is all because of you selfish greediness. I hope you are prepared for that."_

_His silence was all the consent she needed. _

_"I hope, Inutaishou, that when you die, the last thing you see is your son, staring at you like you are the lowest scum of the earth. I pray you beg for forgiveness that only hell can give you back. Until then, I wish you well. Goodbye," she paused for a second as she opened the door. In the hall, Inutaishou looked like he was about to respond when Achika tacked on, "Sesshomaru." Then, she disappeared into the late morning light, the door swinging shut slowly, silently, behind her. _

_For a second, it looked like the demon lord had frozen, his jaw hanging open so far it looked broken. Sesshomaru would have snickered if not for the gravity of the situation and the fact his mother had just left. Then, Inutaishou seemed to shake it off, resuming his cold exterior. _

_"Sesshomaru, come say good morning to your mother," Inutaishou demanded as if nothing had happened._

_Sesshomaru glared. How could he do that! After all that arguing it was a supposed to be just a 'Oh good morning human?' No, he thought. He no longer would listen to that man. "She's not my mother," he replied coldly._

_"She is now."_

_"I don't want some damned human as a mother. I don't need one any more if that's the case."_

_Inutaishou smacked Sesshomaru again. The young demon barely flinched. His golden eyes narrowed at the man who betrayed his respect. Sesshomaru growled some curses under his breath as he left the room for the sanctuary of his own. He slammed the door behind him as he sat on the bed, glaring out the barely luminated, curtained window. That made it seem so damned peaceful._

_"Little one, don't cry," the human requested, opening the door and walking in._

_"Who the hell do you think you are, human, barging into the quarters of a future demon lord? Not only that, who the hell do you think I am? I don't cry," he growled._

_She attempted to wrap her arms around him, but Sesshomaru slashed out. "You keep your grubby mortal hands away from me!" he hissed as she fell back, gasping as if he had gutted her. With the beating he had gotten later, he wished he would have. Then, at least, he would have deserved it._

Sesshomaru was used to hearing about abusive men. His father had always been like that when he got drunk, like Rin's mom had. He had always put up with it. The women in his life had never acted violently towards their children, and the way Rin's mother acted surprised him. Lodging it in the back of his memory, Sesshomaru continued the treck back to his house. He laughed, remembering what had happened after that. Several years after that.

_"Father, I'm writing songs," Sesshomaru announced. _

_His father was sitting on the bed next to his human wench. She was just showing signs of being pregnant. The thought made Sesshomaru sick. "Why, demons can't sing."_

_"What about Brittany Spears? She's a slug demon, no status even among us, and the humans love her." (Ok, again, this isn't an original idea. _Of Memories Past _came up with it first and has given consent for me to utilize the idea.)_

_"Everyone knows humans are tone deaf and can't tell good music from bad. They can't sing either. Izayoi is the only exception to that."_

_Of course, that damn human was the exception to everything with Inutaishou. "We'll then, if you think she sings good, I'll be a hit at least with demons."_

_"Don't talk about my mate like that. It's a damned lie." _

_"Now why would I lie about anything concerning a human?"_

_"Why you..." Inutaishou got up to leap at the young demon. Izayoi put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. _

_"Inutaishou, it's all right. There's no harm in him stating an opinion."_

_"All right, my love, if that's how you feel," he said gently to the human before growling at Sesshomaru, "Get out of here, you lowly brat, while we are both feeling generous."_

_"As you wish, My Lord," the younger demon spat. It mocked the status that the family held in claim of the west lands as divided in the demons private, ancient past. Every demon should call them Lords. _

_Sesshomaru left the room, then the house. He hated living under the watchful eye of his father now. He had no claim to the family any longer. He had really no right to call the house he was living in a home, either. So, he wandered the streets of his city, thinking. Why couldn't he sing? It was an easy way for his damned father to get rid of him. And it wouldn't be overly expensive, well worth getting rid of a rebellious demon son. _

_A slight zephyr of wind brought a faint scent to Sesshomaru's highly elevated senses. It couldn't be, he thought. She left after that human came. But it smelled just like her. But it was truly the woman he thought it was; his mother. _

_The trail led him to a ramshackle apartment complex. The off gray walls were infested with ivy. It wouldn't do to break into such an area, so Sesshomaru stopped at the office._

_Politely, he asked, "I'm here to see my mother. Achika Taisho. Either that or Achika Soku. What room is she staying in?"_

_"What business do you have with Ms. Soku?"_

_Ms. Soku. That meant that she had cut all ties with his father. "I wanted to catch up on old times with my mother. Isn't that allowed?"_

_"Room 32. Here's a copy of the key," the man at the desk handed Sesshomaru a small silver key. "You have an hour to return the key, or I'll have the cops come and arrest you. Best be careful."_

_"Why, is there something wrong?" Sesshomaru asked. It alarmed him that something might be wrong with his mother. _

_"She's just a little...off, if you know what I mean."_

_"Of course. Thank you good sir." Bowing slightly the demon lord left the small room to look for Apartment 32. Once he found it, he unlocked the door and entered the room. He snuck into the small hall that led to a main room, examining the apartment with a master's eye. _

_It was a small apartment, simply furnished with sale-priced (if not free) furniture that didn't match at all with the room, nor each other. A table was up turned in the center. Sesshomaru noted it as a perfect spot for an ambush._

_Sesshomaru was just leaning forward when a flower vase flew at him. He ducked back quickly, still unable to avoid the cheep glass shards and water that was released. _

_"You damn pig! Get the hell out of my house this instant. I'm warning you, I'm armed and I will kill you." _

_"Mother, what vile words you say to your son," Sesshomaru commented lightly. _

_"Sesshomaru? Say, come out and let me see you." _

_Cautiously, Sesshomaru crept forward, this time only to have a shoe thrown at him. The young demon caught it, setting it down nicely on the floor. He could here the woman gasp with surprise._

_Stepping forward more, Sesshomaru asked, "Just what have you been into mother?" _

_"It's those Demon slayers. They just wont leave me alone, these days. Oh, Sesshomaru, it really is you. You've grown so tall! Has it really been just five years." Standing strait from behind the table, Sesshomaru could have asked the same thing. _

_The woman he had known had seemed to be in her late twenties (though with demons, age was rarely evident.) Now, she seemed so much closer to her true age. Her hair had turned from the pale blue to a darkened, steel gray. Her beautiful face had added wrinkles. But, her russet eyes hadn't changed. They still held the strong determination that they always had._

_His mother looked Sesshomaru up and down, stepping closer as she did so. "You've definitely grown taller," she muttered to herself. _

_Then, as if realizing what was going on, she stood back. "Oh, come in. Can I fix you some tea? Lunch maybe? Or is it breakfast? No lunch, definitely lunch." Muttering some more, Ms. Soku was already hurrying towards the kitchen. There, she started opening and closing cabinets, her back to her son._

_"I only have an hour," Sesshomaru stated._

_"Who has the right to limit my little demon lord?"_

_"Mom."_

_"It was Boris, wasn't it. He's really strict about strangers, especially since that last time I had...visitors. He's actually quite sweet sometimes, for a human."_

_"You like him, don't you?"_

_"No not really. If he were a demon we could go hunting together, but that's about it. He's fine to be around for a drink though."_

_"Mother!"_

_She turned around, smiling despite the distraught look on her son's face. "I was just joking, Sesshomaru. So, you've found me. I knew you would. How's your school?"_

_"I graduated from high school. Spent about a year so far in college. Father won't let me move out, though. I want to get a real job."_

_Turning back to her work, she asked, "So what job has the grace of interesting my son?"_

_"I want to sing."_

_"Sing?"_

_"Yeah, you know, like that slug demon?"_

_"You want to become a slug?"_

_"Mother, please be serious."_

_"Why, you don't joke any more? Look at what Inutaishou has done to my son. He doesn't even joke with his own mother. I have the right mind to go in there and..."_

_Sticking with the subject, Sesshomaru continued, "What do you think, Mother? Do I have what it takes?"_

_"Who said otherwise?" Ms. Soku replied. "I'll kill that sorry human if she dare insult my son like that."_

_"No, Mother. It was Father who said it. He won't let me."_

_"You'll need to be financially secure, that's all. I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem."_

_"I know that. I can provide my own if I can get started. I just need a small job first, maybe at a fast food..."_

_"Most definitely not! You will not work at a lowly human restaurant serving humans their food like some human dog! You are a lord, and if you want to sing, you shall. I'll give you the money I was saving up. I hope it will be enough"_

_"Mother, you should use that for yourself. You don't have to."_

_"Have is different from wanting to do something. You have to eat and you have to breathe if you want to live. But what you want to eat and if you want to live is up to you. Besides, I was waiting for just this opportunity..."_

_"Now you're being too serious."_

_"If you want advice, I would say go to a kareokee house. I don't think I have enough for you to go to America for American Idol, though."_

_"Kareokee?"_

_"Yes, sing songs other people have done before. It'll get some attention."_

_"I can't sing other people's songs. It feels wrong."_

_"Get some attention. It might feel wrong at first, but it'll help you in the long run." _

_"I suppose that wont hurt then, Mother, if you think it will."_

_"Yes, there you go. That's the little demon I know," his mother smiled. Something fell from her hands, shattering on the kitchen tile. Looking down in disappointment, Ms. Soku muttered, "Looks like were having egg drop soup."_

His mom had seemed so much more scatter-brained, but was enjoying life on her own. It was a great scene in his memory. One of the few that ever was.

HD: Hehe, ok, got that part over with. The main point of the chapter was, once more, to show off a little of the past that I planned out.

Syn: Wow, something planned.

HD: Any way, that was a little longer than most of my chapters because I added in two parts of the memory. Sigh Most of my work starts sounding a little bit like Furuba, no matter what I do. Not that it's a bad thing, it just happens.

Syn: It is a bad thing.

HD: Shut up. Well, anyway! Thanks Inuka and Sianne for reviewing for me! It gives me purpose and a will to live.

Syn: Yeah, she remembered that you liked her fanfiction and only fell off the bridge, not jumped.

(Not really, it was a mental image.)

HD: Well, that's enough rambling. Any new readers and all my favorite ones back for the 5th chappie, R&R!


	6. Full Truths

To Sing Again

Chapter 6: Full Truths

Several weeks passed. Rin started going back to school, so the days the two could meet were limited to weekends.

Sesshomaru kept telling himself it didn't matter, that not seeing Rin was a good thing, but she always seemed to be on his mind.

Sesshomaru started to visit the parks more often. He blamed it on the clean air until he realized where the parks were located; right around Rin's school or house. It seemed too planned to be a coincidence. Did he really want to see Rin that badly?

Did that mean anything? What was it that attracted him to her?

His desk was littered with scraps of paper dedicated to questions of the sort. He tried not to looked at what he had written, but they were there and seemed to be growing.

......

"Hey, Rin, we're going out Friday since we don't have school. Wanna come?"

One of Rin's classmates interrupted her chain of thought. "Hm? What? Say that again," Rin asked, looking up.

"What's on your mind girl? You've been getting more and more distant this week," another girl asked, concerned.

"I was just thinking about seeing someone."

"A boy?"

"Kinda."

"Details?"

"Uh, well, we only saw each other a couple times, but I feel like I can trust him."

"Do you like him?"

"I don't think I would want to see him if I didn't like him."

"No, I mean, like him, like him."

"She means romantically," the first girl popped in.

"I... I don't understand..." Rin hesitated. She'd never dealt with this kind of attitude before.

"You like being around him. If you get nervous around him, that's a crush. Get in the game, Rin."

"A crush..." Was that what it was or was it more? Crushes always seemed like passing fancies.

"So, are you gonna come with us Friday?"

.......

Sesshomaru entered his house after a day of patrolling parks. Inu Yasha was waiting at the end of the entryway, an angry look on his face.

"Ani, what is this?" Inu Yasha asked, looking at a small sheet of paper.

Sesshomaru snatched it roughly looking at it. He identified it as a paper from his desk. "What are you doing digging through my stuff again?"

"I found it on the ground."

It must have gotten caught in a breeze and blown out of his room. That was, if Inu Yasha was telling the truth.

"But that's not the point. Is that another love poem to that human?"

"What do you mean, another?"

"Then it's a song."

"Not exactly."

"Ani, you can't sing any more. You know what it does to you, what this human atmosphere does to you. You can't."

"Are you going to try and stop me?"

"Surely you jest ani. That little human must have given you a sense of humor. You know I could never win a fight against you."

"That's what I thought. I'm not writing for singing, since you're obviously concerned. I just can't stand the thoughts in my mind unless I write it down."

Inu Yasha nodded. "Yeah, Kagome tells me I should write her every once in a while, but I can't figure out how. You must be gifted."

"Or you must be an idiot," Sesshomaru remarked lightly.

Inu Yasha went back to the couch to join Kagome once again. "It is a love song, then," Kagome whispered.

Annoyed, Sesshomaru went and barricaded himself in his room again.

Love. A ridiculous notion. What had love ever done for him or any one else. Inu Yasha claimed love to every woman he had dated for the past dozen years. It was ritual and false. His father, who had ruined a woman's life by declaring love to another. Even Sesshomaru's love for his mother had been betrayed because she had left him in the end as well. Love was a huge disappointment.

Sesshomaru threw the paper on to the desk, realizing for the first time how large the pile was. There were easily thirty pages. Sesshomaru sat at the desk, curious. He started riffling through them, discovering what was written on them. Each page was like a wonder, as if they had come from someone else, but they held truth so he continued looking.

When Sesshomaru was done he knew. He knew that he was falling in love with Rin. "I shouldn't. I can't. She's a human..." he muttered trying to reason with himself. But he had a feeling it was already too late.

.......

"So, Sesshomaru likes Rin," Kagome started.

"So I assume. After I found that one paper, I went to put it back. And there's a shit load of em on his desk."

"What did they say?" Kagome asked, eager for some gossip.

"Some sounded like he was confused, but others... man, he has it bad."

"Well, thats good, isn't it?"

"I guess. I mean, he has issues, so maybe this will be good for him."

"We should totally get them together, then."

"Are you crazy? He'll kill us."

"Oh, come now, Inu-chan. It's for his own good. He'll probably thank us when its done."

Inu Yasha was quiet, looking up at the ceiling.

"It'll be fun," Kagome taunted.

"Fun, huh? Well, first we need her number. I know he hasn't seen her in a while."

"I love you!" Kagome squealed.

....

....

Ok, so Sesshomaru likes Rin, Rin likes Sesshomaru, and Kagome and Inu are gonna try to get em together for real. I see dark clouds on the horizon for these guys.

Uh, guess there's not much to say. Next chap will be up sooner or later. When/if I remember to post it....

Special thanks for this chapter, the next chapter, and the next few chapters goes to Bubbel. Thanks for your interest, it made me actually type.


	7. I Guess They Call it a Date?

To Sing Again

Chapter 7: I Guess They Call it a Date?

"Ok, so I got it," Inu Yasha whispered to Kagome, snickering.

She giggled in response. "Good boy. Now we have to call her and set them up. Make it seem like a coincidence."

"A coincidence?"

"You don't want him to know we're involved, do you?"

"Well, no, but Sesshomaru doesn't believe in coincidence."

"All the easier to set it up then," Kagome laughed, picking up her phone.

.........

The day was Saturday. The mission: shopping for food. Reason: Inu Yasha ate too much. Problems included: Inu Yasha (jobless and accompanying.) and Inu Yasha's girl friend (refused to be alone at _his_ place).

At least he wouldn't have to carry all of the food which Inu Yasha was going to eat alone.

As Sesshomaru was about to go into the connivence store, Inu Yasha stopped him. "Neh, Ani, you can't shop there. They don't have anything cept instant stuff."

"You should learn to cook 'instant stuff' then. Or, again, have Kagome do it."

"But that'd be a waste of our time."

"I think what he's trying to say is that a real grocery store would be a better idea," Kagome piped in to clarify.

"Yeah, right. That's what it is. Plus, they have good sales, right Kagome?"

"Yup. They do have that."

Sighing, Sesshomaru continued on to the nearest grocery store.

He was getting so fed up with Kagome and Inu Yasha's persistence that he didn't notice anyone around him.

"Ah! Rin, there you are!" Kagome exclaimed.

Sesshomaru turned to see Kagome greeting the young girl. Inu Yasha was standing back, a slightly smug look on his face. What was his game?

"Sesshomaru, what are you doing here?" Rin asked as she walked up to him.

"I was going grocery shopping. What are you doing here?"

"I was going to meet with Kagome to go shopping. She invited me."

Sesshomaru glared at Inu Yasha. That's what he was planning. This was a set up.

"Well, why don't we just get the shopping done. You two can go have fun together," Kagome spoke up, dragging Inu Yasha towards the store.

"Kagome, that wasn't part of the deal," Inu Yasha hissed.

"But," Rin started, "weren't we going to go shopping?"

Kagome winked. "This works out better, doesn't it?"

Rin blushed. "I guess."

.........

Sesshomaru and Rin decided to go to the park to walk around. It seemed boring, but any excuse to get off the crowded streets sounded good to Sesshomaru. Rin was happy she got to see him again, so any time they got to spend together was worth it.

The pair ended up buying ice cream from a vendor. They sat by a fountain as they ate.

"So, how's school," Sesshomaru asked quietly.

"It's ok, I guess. I'm learning a lot of new things and making lots of friends," Rin replied. She was starting to feel really self conscious which was making her shy.

"That's what school is for."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

_Why is this hard now?_ Sesshomaru wondered. All of the times before, talking to Rin had been easy, so why were they resorting to small talk? Why wasn't Rin talking more, like she usually did?

Sesshomaru looked down at the young girl. She sat, hands folded around the ice cream cone and settled in her lap. Her eyes were downcast, looking at her shoes. Was she blushing?

"Rin," Sesshomaru stated sharply.

Rin jumped before looking up at the Demon Lord. "Eh?"

Sesshomaru smiled ever so slightly. "Nothing."

"I wish you wouldn't do that. I almost spilled my ice cream!"

"I apologize."

Rin settled into her previous posture, a blush fully visible. She finished off the rest of her ice cream quickly.

"Am I boring you, Rin?"

"Hm? Uh, no."

"Then, is there something on your mind?"

"Well..." _I keep thinking about what they said. I have a crush on you, Sesshomaru. It isn't fair that I steal your time and have nothing to give you. I should give up on these fleeting feelings for you so that both of us can move on with our lives._ "I guess I'm just busy with school."

What a lie. They both feel it.

"Maybe I should just let you be, then?" _I don't want to do that. Rin, please don't let me do that._

"No! I don't want that. I don't mind sitting here with you. I just like to be near you." _Why did I just say that? How embarrassing._

Sesshomaru smirked slightly. "Really?"

Rin covered her face with her hands. "Yes," she mumbled. "I thought about you a lot. I don't know why, but I wanted to see you. I haven't been making plans after school and on the weekends because I hoped you would call so we could be together."

_Why did that sound like exactly what I feel? Because she likes me, just as I like her._ _ Why does she like me? Why do I not want to ask? Because it's not true. I want her to feel that way about me, so I'm partial to seeing it that way. I will not deceive myself. _

Rin folded her hands in her lap again, shoulders raised defensively. "I don't know why I just said that. Please forget it."

_I don't want to. I want to cherish that small hope._

Rin laughed forcefully. "Well, I think I ought to go. My dad might be waiting." Rin stood to go, eager to escape the embarrassing situation. She was enjoying her time with Sesshomaru, but if she was going to reveal her secrets, she might want to stop before she told him the truth. That she was probably going to stop liking him.

"Rin, don't go."

Rin stopped.

"You can stay here and sit with me. We don't have to say anything if you don't want to."

Rin hesitated. _Stay here and risk everything or leave and never know..._

She sat back down. "Thank you, Sesshomaru."

They shared in each other's company for a long while before Rin's cell phone went off. Her father was ready to go home.

Both of them stood, uncertain of how to say farewell.

"Sesshomaru-sama..." Rin whispered, so quiet that had he not been a demon, Sesshomaru would not have heard.

Curious, Sesshomaru leaned forward. What was with the -sama? What did she have to say?

Rin stood on tip toes and kissed his cheek. Her face was bright red as she bowed, saying, "I'll see you around, Sesshomaru." Then she ran off.

Sesshomaru stood where he was long after Rin was gone. "I like being around you too, Rin," he said to thin air, as he should have said when she said she liked being around him. There were too many complications, though. Besides, they could see each other again.

........

Sesshomaru got home before Inu Yasha did. He had known shopping wouldn't get done with his younger brother in charge. He was at his desk writing when the door opened and the couple came in.

"Sesshomaru, you home?" the hanyou shouted.

"Yes," Sesshomaru responded quietly.

Inu Yasha came into the room and debated about flopping on the bed. He decided against it. "So, how'd it go?"

"How did what go?"

"Your date."

"It wasn't a date."

"Did you talk?"

"Of course."

"Did you hold hands?"

"No."

"Did you kiss?"

"No." Not really....

"Oh, well, then I guess it wasn't a date. Besides, she's so little, you'd be a pedophile."

Despite his surprise that Inu Yasha was using pedophile properly, Sesshomaru maintained his emotionless air. "That's right. It wasn't a date."

Inu Yasha smirked. Sesshomaru had his back to the half demon, so he missed it. Then, Inu Yasha left.

_I wont tell him, but I think that may be considered a date..._


	8. They Can't Understand

To Sing Again

Chapter 8 -They Can't Understand

Despite Rin's school schedule, Sesshomaru started meeting with her more frequently. After Sesshomaru told her that what other people said didn't matter, she slowly slipped back to being the talkative Rin from before. Sometimes, Rin would go over to Sesshomaru's apartment after school. They would watch movies if the couch was free, which it usually was due to smooth planning and skillful persuasion.

Sesshomaru had thought that he had given his all to his music. He had drained his very soul into each lyric. All of the color, the joy, the happiness, the pain; it had all gone to his music, leaving his world cold and dead.

Meeting Rin had changed everything.

Sesshomaru found himself smiling at Rin's enthusiasm. How long had it been since he felt he could smile freely?

He found himself living in her presence. She was bringing happiness back into his life. He wanted to live for her, so he could see her smiling face.

How long had it been since he had admitted emotion to himself?

So very long.

Could the Demon Lord imagine what his life would be like without Rin anymore? He could hardly believe how he had lived before, until he realized he hadn't. After his mother had left, he had started shutting down his emotions, so he could survive. His music had helped him find an outlet that would be safe from his father's ridicule and disdain, but that only seemed to have been the process in which he had destroyed his emotions.

With the spark Rin was rekindling, Sesshomaru started writing again. They were usually small, single lines. The longer ones were only single stanzas, nothing worth repeating. He still refused to admit that they could possibly be songs.

Slowly, he was reassured that he loved her. He needed her. He wanted her.

But there was so much that could go wrong.

He was so much older than she was. Because of his demon blood, he would live much longer than she would, and therefore suffer the pain of watching her grow old and die.

They moved frequently to avoid suspicion. That was no life for a young woman to grow up with. She should be free to stay in school at one place for her education.

Her father who might not mind so much, but there was the mother that already seemed to hate the burden of being a mother. Inu Yasha, who probably wouldn't let him get away with falling in love with a human, just as their father had.

And he, himself. He had no idea how to treat love, since he had been apart from the idea so long.

So for a time, Sesshomaru did nothing more than keep Rin by his side.

...........

"Hey, wow! Kohaku-kun is back!"

"What? Ko-kun?"

"Hey, where've you been Kohaku!"

Rin's class was in an uproar over the return of a boy Rin didn't know. Apparently, he had been absent since before Rin was going to school there.

"Who's that?" Rin asked her friend quietly.

"Oh, that's right. You don't know Kohaku-kun. He is absent a lot, I guess. No one knows why, but its not like he's a delinquent or anything. I think he works for his dad already! Maybe that's what he does.... But he's really nice and rich too! You should go introduce yourself."

"Why?" Rin wondered aloud.

"You're cute! He'll like you. Then you could be with a guy who'd treat you right."

Rin was fine with the way "her guy" treated her, but the situation was too complicated to explain to her friend.

However, Rin didn't have to say anything. Kohaku walked up to her desk and greeted her, smiling. "I don't believe we have met before. I'm Kohaku."

Rin bowed back, almost hitting her head on the desk. "I'm Rin. I recently transfered into this school."

"I see. That would explain things."

To Rin, Kohaku seemed distant. As if he was only showing part of himself at school. Almost like Sesshomaru, but she knew Sesshomaru's secret. She was curious to know Kohaku's, but she wasn't sure if she really wanted to know.

They talked a little more, mostly polite nothings before class started. Her friend giggled, saying they looked cute together. Rin was only certain of one thing. She didn't want Sesshomaru to know.

........

"Sesshomaru, you're turning emo," Inu Yasha stated.

Sesshomaru had just made it home after going to the movies with Rin. Why did Inu Yasha always seem to talk about weird things when he just got home? "What are you talking about?"

"This one. It was in your pocket and I was gonna do laundry. I didn't want to wash it."

And lately, when Inu Yasha wanted to talk, he had been snooping. Sesshomaru snatched the paper. A few sections had been scrawled carelessly. _I wrote this one in the park, I think_.

The paper read:

I'll fall for you in my heart alone

So my pain can be my pain

And my loss mine alone

I'll fall for you in my heart alone

So I'll always be here for you

And you will always have a shelter

I'll fall for you in my heart alone

So no one else can look down at you

And tell us it isn't right

I'll fall for you in my heart alone

So I can't convince myself that they're right

And carry the hope that it will last forever.

Sesshomaru fought the urge to kill Inu Yasha just for reading the poem. That one was truly personal. And to call it "emo", that was not fair.

"Uh.... Ani....?"

"Out," Sesshomaru growled.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about. But if you like the girl that much, you should just tell her."

"You'd better get out of here now, or I'll kill you."

Inu Yasha gulped before bolting out of the apartment.

.........

........

A/N:

Yeah, that poem was an early morning/ really late night type thing. And yes, it might be a little emo. And it was done by me. Surprising?

Anyway, Kohaku makes an appearance. I think I lost Kohaku's character somewhere in watching the series, so... I think he started off a little OoC, and he's probably going to fall more out of charcter in later chapters. Oops, I said to much.

Thanks to allora123 for reminding me that I still have more to post.

R&R


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